Midland assault: Court surprisingly discharges policeman

The policeman who allegedly beat up a woman at the Shiashie branch of Midland Savings and Loans Limited, Lance Corporal Frederick Amanor Godzi, aka Skalla, has been discharged by the Accra Circuit Court.

Godzi was charged with assault for allegedly beating Ms. Patience Osafo, a customer of Midland, on its premises on July 19, 2018, when she went there to withdraw her money.

Also set free by the court are the three officials of Midland who were standing trial for allegedly aiding Godzi to assault Ms. Osafo.

They are Jocelyn Kukua-Fakah, the Operations Manager, Shirley Portia Anaman, Customer Service Officer, and Prince Ayensu, a driver.

Checks by the Daily Graphic revealed that the four accused were discharged by the court, presided over by Ms. Cecilia Dapaah Mireku, in December 2018.

The court discharged the accused due to the lack of interest in the trial by Ms. Osafo.

She is said to have failed to appear before the court to testify.

She also failed to avail herself to help the police with investigations.

Public outrage

Godzi was captured in a video that subsequently went viral assaulting 36-year-old Ms. Osafo, who was carrying a baby and had gone to the Shiashie branch of Midland Savings and Loans to withdraw part of her GHS270 savings.

Members of the public expressed outrage over the incident and subsequently the policeman was arrested and interdicted, while investigations into the case began.

Compensation

It is not clear why Ms. Osafo showed no interest in the trial, but even before the court discharged L/Corporal Godzi, his counsel had begged the court to allow an out-of-court settlement on the basis that the charge of assault leveled against his client was not a felony but a misdemeanor.

Also, a few days after the incident, Ms. Osafo’s lawyers and Midland Savings and Loans reached a compensation agreement.

One of her lawyers, Samson Lardi Anyenini, revealed that the savings and loans company had offered her a generous deal for her ordeal.